Fashion is a tricky business, and gaining cost, quality and speed advantages can be difficult to do in an already complicated and competitive market. There are seasonal changes where products must be designed, developed, sourced, tested and imported and exported in a limited amount of time. Of course, this increased pressure to move quicker in getting products to market can make it more difficult to maintain a quality. If this wasn't enough to deal with, there are also the chaos customers create by not following trends, often making demand unpredictable. The list of challenges goes on and on. However, amid these ongoing struggles, and fluctuations in the global economy over the last few years, the footwear and apparel industry still has a chance to successfully adapt and thrive.

When you think sanctions, there are a few things that probably come to mind: Iran, North Korea, possibly Russia. You may envision munitions being smuggled in Cold War-era trucks by rogue factions of defunct military groups. You may think only bad actors such as known terrorists are direct targets of US sanctions, and only companies that operate within the US are subject to sanctions rules. If you think this, you’d be wrong.

Earlier this month, I joined representatives from dozens of footwear and apparel brands in Washington, D.C for a pulse-check on market trends and regulatory changes that affect the industry. The conference, hosted by the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), provides a space every year for industry advocates to meet with people actually in the industry to discuss global trade and supply chain issues. Amber Road has been a sponsor of the event for many years, and this year in particular presented an opportunity for a lively discussion. Fittingly, the theme of the event was "Solutions to Challenging Times."

Today, Amber Road announced a new cargo screening solution to address the challenge carriers face in identifying shipments that may contain prohibited, hazardous, or dual-use goods based only on the limited information provided on a transportation manifest or air waybill. The solution is ideal for global logistics providers who must aggregate and accurately screen a high volume of shipments from multiple providers to comply with increasingly stringent laws.

The global logistics industry is challenged by trade regulations related to Know Your Customer (KYC) which requires carriers know the shipper, the recipient, and the end-use of the products they carry to ensure that goods are not shipped to a sanctioned party or embargoed country and comply with non-proliferation of dual-use goods unauthorized for general trade. Customs authorities around the world are increasingly monitoring the effectiveness of logistics providers’ cargo screening processes to determine compliance. There are numerous examples of companies that use only “exact matching” screening algorithms on names and addresses who have been cited for failing to meet the standard of reasonable care and have been penalized with escalating fines.

Global trade is exploding; supply chains in every industry continue to ramp-up movement of goods, maintain pace with trade regulations, and gain the competitive advantage by being the fastest, top-quality, and least expensive. Staying on top of your game means you have to focus on improving supply chain visibility while tightening costs and keeping up with consumer demand. To help companies, Amber Road’s subject matter experts provide best practices across the supply chain in a range of published articles from industry publications.

While most of the world is tuned-into the ongoing tariff battles between the US and China, European nations are using the opportunity to strengthen their relationship with China. Moreover, China President Xi’s orchestrated visits to EU leaders is putting pressure on US trade negotiators.

Challenged with classification? Classifying the same product differently in one or more countries? Uncertain as to when a “kit” is a “kit for customs purposes” or when to classify a part with the machine and when not to?

The Harmonized System (HS) is a global number, to 6-digits, that drives the duties, fees and taxes of a product upon importation, in addition to applicable protective measures (i.e.: antidumping). In addition, the HS number is the basis of many free trade agreement qualification processes. So why do so many companies raise their customs risk and classify some products differently when operating in more than one country?

When comparing today's retail environment with the past, it isn't surprising that the industry remains focused on improving visibility in the supply chain (again). Anyone who reads the daily news realizes the greater complexity of our business. You've got fast fashion, global competition, changing demographics, seismic political shifts, demanding consumers, product innovation, and throw in an NGO or two pushing for ethical sourcing and sustainability (rightfully so). So many things are affecting apparel and footwear companies, many of which brands have very little control over.

There are things companies can have better control over: supply chain visibility for one. Generally, visibility means that you know what's happening throughout the product life-cycle of your goods and where it's happening at any given time. Moreover, while there are different levels of visibility, I think what we want to discuss is full end-to-end visibility – I like to think of it as a transparent glass pipeline – that allows access to every piece of data on a given product at any given time. And it's essential beyond being called a "buzzword," because full visibility allows a company to deliver their products to their customers on-time and with the level of quality that people have come to expect.

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) facilitate access to international markets by lowering trade barriers and providing cost-saving advantages at the same time. Despite Asia's importance for European foreign trade, agreements with Asian countries are not progressing quickly. For example, agreements with Singapore concluded in 2014, South Korea in 2015, and Japan on February 1, 2019. This year, signatures on an agreement with Vietnam should allow it to move ahead.

Could you be missing out on millions in duty drawback claims? Many shippers aren't taking advantage of valuable savings due to an inefficient or lack of a duty drawback program. When goods are re-exported, destroyed, or used in manufacturing another export, shippers can reclaim up to 99%of duty payments. In fact, it's estimated that there are $2-3 billion of unclaimed duty drawback each year. Isn't it time for you to get your slice of that pie?

That's why, at Rider University's Global Supply Chain Symposium, supply chain leaders spoke on a panel titled Global Trade and Its Impact on Your Supply Chain. Suzanne Richer, Director of Amber Road's Trade Advisory Practice, joined executives from Subaru and Firmenich at the symposium which welcomed supply chain and logistics professionals for a full day of presentations and panels from industry leaders.